The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-06-01
PROGRESS IN TIE SOUTH.
SECRETARY LAMAR GEARS ALI. IiE
REPORTS ARE NOT TREE.

i.,;i,c.
IN eryicy :. il, the Hartford, Conn. Times
/ foand Secretary Lamar at his place
in The department the other day. his
tab!c well covered with papers, transact
ing the routine business as methodically
as though he Lad been an executive
onicer all his lie, but it seemed to be a
relief to him to turn from them for q
little while, walk with me into his pr
vate room and talk on other subjects.
Our conversation was about journalism,
its wonderful growth, its change OF
character and its future, and upon otaer
topics, but I shall not now repeat what
he had to say, except on one subject
the industrial condition OF the South
and that 1 DO with his consent.
The apparent prosperity Of the
South" said Secretary Lamar, ''is to be
found II the cities, and not all OF them
share i. Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nash
vile, E2oxYi:le, Birmingham and other
cities that are the centres Of mineral de-
velopment already made or anticipated
are growing rapidly in population and
apparently in wealth. Towns, also, that
are situated upon the new railroads that
have been built during the past fe7
years are larger and more thriving than
they were, but their growth has been
largely at the expense CT less fortunate
towns that have either stood still or have
actually deteriorated. This circum-
stance, I think, is likely to give az
erroneous impression to the stranger
passing tnrou9l t;ie South on the ra!I-
ways. lie sees thc towns AZ the various
stations apparently thriving, the centres
of new commercial enterprises, and lie
naturally concludes tJ;.. the South is
making very rapid progress; but he
doesn't hnow tnat the man who has
openeG Il new store at Creof these places
has FeoUabIy removed there from some
town distant from the railroad where E@
CLOSED; ap his tonne busiaess, OF the
man who IS building . Icw !ousa is pos
s:blY q farmer who has become dlscour-
aged 10 the vain effort to make a living
planning co!tCn, ans. aas solI out and
come 10 town hoping - 10 better, or:
perhaps, 20 haze better opportunities for
the eiucation of his children.
81 2ru incline. to tiiiD;a, also, t.!.! The
present pros peritv OF the cities which
are the yc!.t:os Of industry in the miner
al region CT wGo.e growth Las neca
stimulated Dy their proximity - or IN
t!e.'yst IL t, Is, TO grea5 exit, specu-
Iatiye-bascG: N some measure, 1t least,
upon anticipated developments rather
than upon these a!Gead. :la,,a. vi
course, ! h12v :&at L Eoo>, t!@,tl Of capl-
tai has been invested there a 4 that
much Of it has gone from the North ana
that MAN. Northern people are setting
there, ana I dor wish to be understood
as doubling the future prosperity Of the
region. 2ulJ. say that the returns have
not get been realized. ought 10 say that
have very little perSo2al knowledge OF
affairs III those sections OF the South OF
which l have been speaking. The
boom has come since i have been there
to remain long at time, AID my opin-
ions are formed from what | have read
in the newspapers ard heard from peg
sons who have been there. think you
will find, too, that such cities as Charles
ton, Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans
are not showing evidences OF prosperity.
Let US see, SAID lie, taking down u COM
pendulum of the last census, chow much
these cities increased IN population be-
tween 1870 and 1880. Charleston gained
in population in that decade l,02S, or
ut the rate of about l Is Ger cent; Sd
vannah gained l,4114, or about D: per
cent; Mobile actually lost 1902 IN pop
uIation, and New Orleans gained y, 6I2,
or about Is per cent. Ii you remember
that the average increase OF population
throughout the whole country during
the same ten years averaged 30 per cent,
you will see that there is nothing en-
courasing in these figures.
Glow do you account Tor the appar
ent stagnation il what were formerly the
great commercial centres OF the SOUTH
l asked.
''By the depression CT the planting in
terest, Of which l have already spoken,
was the reply. They are dependent
upon the agriculture OF the country Tor
their trade. y
Haven't the crops been good?"
''Yes, that OF last year was the largest
ever plaGe vii. oae CT tsgo s,;ccptions.
But the crop to-t,..y isr0i ngopoc::onasy
Us great Us ii was bc:Dre the wac. 1t
must be rln.uiuUers>; .E:,t tic :2orua-
ton =: me South increased ne&:!y tiIty
per c,...t. between I&a0 ..:id 1850. rs
agriculture Is Almost o.;' Guy industry,
and as cotton IS orr .1iEAc!pli PGodnct, II
we ouir !lg.l; err o-fn We ought, IL ISSC,
to hava laa::;erad tittY per Gear. more
cotton ,::;.il ne III before TIE var. but
the tr,..s:. Is that IN: large c:CG o. last
year SIS only .wyn5y-iSe per cent.
greater than that oil 1860. n ether
worC:s. al;r popvuaJio2 Increased turing
that tw:.s:;3 years Just ,.s>.oti: twice rs last
as our :.llii;y &c .cel and ciothe 1t. Ion
wouldn't IooN ior prosperity under such
ana ,you viii not Clluk 1t
strange that tic cities whicn are depend
cn5 upon agriculture for their trade
Should lan3uish.
II have ROT been South II several
wears, said; '1i.ra there outward signs
II the coupJr: Of this depression OF
w!licl yoa Sp":;k:'
.:Iys, especially when one goes away
;.o,, t.., ,I,IrNn.iS ,Tng.rav. nlaiitS are